Join us on Saturday, May 17th from 11:30 AM- 12:30 PM at the Oak Park Library, located at 14200 Oak Park, Blvd., in Oak Park, for a rare public appearance and book signing event by children's author and illustrator Patricia Polacco. Call 248-968-1190 to reserve books for inscription in advance of the signing.

Polacco is a multi-cultural children's writer of great creativity, humor and wisdom. She is one of the nations most cherished and bestselling authors with dozens of published books including the classic folktales Babushka Baba Yaga, The Keeping Quilt, Pink and Say, Casey at the Bat, and Rechenka's Egg. It is a great honor for us to be hosting this event in our community. The Book Beat will have on hand many of Polacco's stunning picture books including her most recent titles, The Lemonade Club and Ginger and Petunia.

Although she struggled in school and was unable to read until age 14 due to dyslexia, she found relief by expressing herself through art. Polacco endured teasing and hid her disability until a schoolteacher recognized that she could not read and began to help her. Thank you, Mr. Falker is Polacco's retelling of this encounter and its outcome.

The early years of Polacco's childhood were spent at her grandmother's farm in Union City, Michigan, the setting for many of her published stories. The farm, originally called The Plantation was established in 1859 and was part of the Underground Railroad. President Lincoln actually visited the home during his presidency. A meteorite that fell into the front yard of that farm "(Meteor!)"is now used as their family's headstone. Although Polacco's grandmother died in 1949, when Polacco was only 5, "babushka," or grandmother, nevertheless appears in several of Polacco's books.

Following the 40-year absence from the home of her youth, Polacco returned to Union City, where she currently resides. Her home is often opened up to the public for writing seminars and children's literature festivals. Polacco does all of her own illustrations, and since she does not own a computer, responds to all letters with a hand-written reply. Whenever Polacco speaks with children, her advice is always the same: "Turn off the TV and LISTEN...LISTEN...LISTEN."*

Studying in the United States and Australia, Patricia Polacco earned an M.F.A. and a Ph. D in art history, specializing in Russian and Greek painting, and iconographic history.

To find out more about this illustrious author and artist, visit her media rich website at Patrica Polacco. com. For any questions regarding this event or to reserve books in advance for autographing or inscription, please call Book Beat at 248-968-1190.

Photo credit for Mz. Polacco above right: Karen A. Lloyd.

*Source: Penguin Publishing.com: "Children and adults alike ask me where I get my ideas...I get them from the same place that you do....MY IMAGINATION... I would guess the reason my imagination is so fertile is because I came from storytelling and, WE DID NOT OWN A T.V.!!!!!!!!! You see, when one is a writer, actor, dancer, musician; a creator of any kind, he or she does these things because they listen to that "voice" inside of them. All of us have that "voice". It is where all inspired thoughts come from....but when you have electronic screens in front, of you, speaking that voice for you... it DROWNS OUT THE VOICE! When I talk to children and aspiring writers, I always ask them to listen to the voice, turn off the T.V. and LISTEN...LISTEN...LISTEN." -- Patricia Polacco

The Book Beat is a locally owned independent bokstore serving the metro Detroit area since 1982. Visit us at 26010 Greenfield in Oak Park or online at thebookbeat.com.